A tire-rotation schedule often lives in a shared calendar, spreadsheet, maintenance app, fleet system, or repair portal. An access audit asks who can view, change, export, or delete that digital record. It does not decide the mechanical rotation interval. For that, use the vehicle owner's manual and tire or vehicle manufacturer guidance.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tells drivers to check the owner's manual for the correct rotation pattern and frequency. If the manufacturer recommends rotation but gives no interval, NHTSA describes 5,000 to 8,000 miles as a general range, or sooner if uneven wear appears. It also notes that some vehicles with different-size front and rear tires should not be rotated. Michelin likewise says to follow the vehicle manufacturer's schedule and describes 5,000 to 7,000 miles as its general recommendation. See NHTSA's tire guidance and Michelin's tire-rotation guide.
1. Define the record and its owner
Inventory every place the schedule or proof of service is stored: calendar events, mileage logs, work orders, invoices, photos, reminders, and integrations. Name an accountable owner and a backup. Record which system is authoritative when two copies disagree. Include the vehicle identifier, current mileage source, manual-based interval, last service date and mileage, next due point, and supporting receipt or work order.
2. Export current permissions
List individual users, groups, public links, service accounts, connected apps, and vendor access. For each, record the permission level—view, comment, edit, administer, export, or delete—and the reason it is needed. Do not assume that a calendar participant has the same rights as a spreadsheet editor or fleet administrator. Check inherited folder and workspace permissions as well as access applied directly to the record.
3. Apply least privilege
NIST defines least privilege as allowing only the access necessary for assigned tasks. Its SP 800-171 Rev. 3 guidance calls for reviewing assigned privileges at an organization-defined frequency and removing or reassigning them when they are no longer needed. See NIST SP 800-171 Rev. 3.
Translate that principle into simple roles. A driver may need to view the due date and add mileage. A technician may need to attach service evidence. A fleet manager may approve schedule changes. Very few people need permission to delete history, change the authoritative interval, manage integrations, or grant access to others. Remove departed users, stale contractors, duplicate accounts, and unused public links.
4. Review the audit trail
Inspect available logs for changes to the interval, last-service entry, vehicle assignment, permissions, and deletions. NIST describes useful audit-record content such as timestamps, user or process identifiers, and an event description. Investigate unexplained changes and correct both the record and the access path that allowed them. If the system has no useful change history, use periodic exports or signed work orders so important evidence does not depend on a single editable field.
5. Test recovery and reminders
With a non-destructive test, confirm that the owner and backup can retrieve the authoritative schedule, service evidence, and permission list. Test a reminder without changing the real due date. Confirm that integrations use dedicated accounts where possible and that disabling one does not erase the history. Back up the record before changing administrators or moving systems.
6. Set a review cadence
Review permissions after staff changes, vendor changes, vehicle transfers, or a new maintenance platform. For active shared fleets, a quarterly review is a reasonable starting template; small personal records may only need review after a sharing change. The accountable owner should choose the cadence based on risk.
Finish with a dated audit note listing what was reviewed, access removed or changed, unresolved exceptions, the authoritative mechanical source, and the next review date. The outcome should be both safe access and a trustworthy maintenance history—not a newly invented tire-rotation interval.
Sources
- Tire Safety Ratings and Awareness — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Tire Rotation Guide — Michelin USA
- NIST Special Publication 800-171 Revision 3 — National Institute of Standards and Technology